


silent is the night

by laughtales



Series: Sylvain Week 2020 [4]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Day 4: Downtime, Fluff, M/M, Sylvain Week 2020, flirting?, probably ooc ;;
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:08:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24548893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laughtales/pseuds/laughtales
Summary: Sylvain sneaks back from town in the dead of night and finds himself drawn to another night owl.
Relationships: Sylvain Jose Gautier & Claude von Riegan, Sylvain Jose Gautier/Claude von Riegan
Series: Sylvain Week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769569
Comments: 4
Kudos: 54





	silent is the night

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Sylvain Week 2020!
> 
> _Day 4: Downtime_
> 
> I honestly have no idea what this is QwQ I just wanted to write claudevain fluff and ended up with this mess ;;

By the time Sylvain is stumbling and sneaking back to the dorms, the grounds are already dark and silent. It’s nothing new, and if anything, the night and its silent company are a welcome change from the loud, bustling girls that hang around him all day. He almost contemplates lingering a little longer but the comforting allure of his bed is too much to resist.

Sylvain carefully ascends the stairs to the second floor of the dormitory and creeps past the doors, hoping not to awaken a sleeping lioness as he tiptoes by. He makes it to the level his room is on and is met with a bit of an unexpected sight.

There’s a sliver of light underneath Claude’s door. It stands out stark amidst the shrouded darkness and he’s drawn to it like a moth to flame. He approaches it and only when he’s before it, hearing shuffling from within, does he realize he’s actually knocked on the door.

It opens slightly and Sylvain’s greeted with the sight of Claude still in uniform, looking strangely amusedly at him. A beat passes. And another. Sylvain’s still entranced by how Claude’s emerald eyes seem to glow.

Claude smirks. “Is there something you wanted? I’m sure you didn’t come knocking on my door just to stare at my face.”

“You don’t know that,” Sylvain says quickly and mentally slaps himself for it. All of his filters are not working apparently.

Claude makes a face Sylvain can’t quite parse. Somewhere between amused, caught off guard, and pleased? It’s very confusing. “Are you flirting with me, Sylvain Jose Gautier?” Claude sniffs the air and raises an eyebrow. “This might just be the alcohol talking.”

It’s not an unfair conclusion to draw given that he’d had a couple drinks in town. Maybe his inhibitions are a little lower because of it but he’s not about to do something with potentially grievous political repercussions.

“Ahh, maybe the alcohol’s talking a little bit,” Sylvain says sheepishly. “But to be honest, I was just surprised to see someone else awake at this hour.” Claude makes a face that tells Sylvain everything he needs to know and he sighs. “You have no idea what time it is, do you.”

“Well if you’re sneaking back from your night out, I’d have to guess, not early.” Sylvain shrugs but it’s basically an affirmation. Claude sighs, “I lost track of time reading.”

Sylvain is surprised at how easily the admission comes. He assumed he’d get the runaround and an enigmatic deflect.

“What’s that look for?”

“I’m just surprised, I didn’t expect to get such a straight answer from you.”

Claude chuckles. “Should I be offended?”

“Only if you want to be, but judging from what I know about you, you won’t be,” Sylvain quips back heartily.

Claude laughs along with him for a while before they settle into an awkward silence with only the candlelight from Claude’s room to keep them company as they stand on either side of the doorway’s threshold.

For two people lauded for their way with words, neither seem to have anything to say to break the awkwardness.

“Uh, I guess I’ll leave you to your reading then. Sorry to bother you, Claude. Goodnight. Try not to stay up too late,” Sylvain says finally, shuffling slightly and making to retreat to his own room.

He’s stopped by a resistance on his sleeve. Claude drops it when Sylvain turns back. It’s amusing and impressive how quickly Claude composes himself after the clearly impulsive action.

“Take a walk with me? I could use some fresh air to clear my head,” Claude says charmingly. “It’d probably do you some good too with how flushed you are.”

Sylvain didn’t even realize it. He must be more intoxicated than he assumed.

It also the excuse he gives himself when he agrees and they sneak together down the stairs. They walk in silence for a bit before settling on the stairs facing the pond.

“They never do change,” Claude comments, prompting Sylvain to follow his gaze skyward.

“The stars?”

Claude nods. “Yeah. It doesn’t matter where you are, they always stay the same. Whether here in the center of Fodlan, or farther east in the Alliance, or even further beyond that. Everyone experiences them the same way.”

“You say that like you’ve seen the stars from a lot farther east than Derdriu.” Sylvain fishes because that implication is far more interesting than contemplating the consistency of nature in that moment. He’s much more intrigued with Claude and his mysterious origins and tightly kept secrets. Which is why he’s not surprised when his inquiry goes unanswered.

He is surprised though, when Claude comments on the other fixture in the night sky.

“The moon is beautiful tonight too.”

And Sylvain’s mind goes blank. He would bet all his supposed worth that Claude, with all his books and knowledge, is not ignorant enough to not know what that particular sentiment means to Faerghans.

The alcohol in his system sets every blood vessel in his face ablaze.


End file.
